Tennessee’s CLE compliance deadline is just two months away. Are the CLE Scaries starting to haunt you? If so, the TBA has you covered. Terrifying highlights include: new live webcasts such as Legal Writing Rules You SHOULD Be Breaking, Friends … An Ethical Sitcom and Essential Presentation Skills for Attorneys; 1-Click packages from your favorite forums by practice area or by hour; new topics including corporate counsel, litigation, business law and estate planning; and 250 on-demand programs, including 40+ ethics titles. New videos are being added weekly and TBA Members enjoy free CLE and exclusive discounts. Check out the full calendar of upcoming events. Not a member yet? Join here.

The TBA is adding to its grassroots advocacy resources with a new primer on indigent representation, which will provide updated information on the role and importance of appointed counsel in our justice system. Topics will explore basics and real-world questions about Tennessee's system, as well as examples and innovations from other jurisdictions. These resources and more can be accessed on the TBA's Indigent Representation Resources page and will be shared across TBA's communications platforms. Those who would like to receive policy and advocacy updates by email, can sign up here.

Sharon J. Bell, retired Knox County chancellor, died Oct. 27 at the age of 80. Bell earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1978 to 1982 before becoming a judge on the Knox County General Sessions Court, where she served for four years. In 1986, she was elected as the first woman chancellor in the state of Tennessee. She retired from the bench in 2006. Throughout her career, Bell handled a range of cases, including adoptions and family law. She also dealt with high-profile issues, such as a dispute over public records held by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the role of the county law director in relation to the school board. Read more about Bell’s life in an article from News 10. Memorial services will be held at Rose Funeral & Cremation – Mann, 6200 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37919 on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. EDT with visitation from 1 to 2 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of Tennessee Valley, P.O. Box 51723 Knoxville, TN 37950.

The Nashville office of Thompson Burton recently hosted a reception to honor Stephanie Williams being sworn in as a 20th Judicial District Circuit Court judge on Sept. 1. The event was held at the firm's West End location. Attorneys and staff from the Franklin office also attended. See photos from the event from the Nashville Post.

McDonald’s was sued on Tuesday by consumers in a proposed class action following an E.coli outbreak linked to onions in the fast-food chain's Quarter Pounders, Reuters reports. Plaintiffs Amanda McCray of Illinois and William Michael Kraft of Florida said they experienced symptoms associated with E.coli infection after buying Quarter Pounders this month, and would not have purchased the burgers had they known of the risk. They are hoping to represent any U.S. consumer who purchased a contaminated hamburger. The lawsuit comes after at least four people sickened in the outbreak filed individual lawsuits in both state and federal courts, court records show. Last week, McDonald's halted Quarter Pounder sales in one-fifth of its 14,000 U.S. restaurants after the outbreak killed at least one person and sickened 75 people.

Early voting at Casa Azafrán, a Nashville community center offering Spanish-language assistance, has seen significant turnout since early voting began on Oct. 16. According to the Nashville Banner, long lines have formed daily as voters seek assistance from Spanish-speaking staff. “A lot of people who recently became citizens and know one of our partners here [come to vote],” said Elizabeth Almaraz, an information and referral officer at the center. “They know staff in the building are able to speak Spanish and help them out.” In related news, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Votes, a voter assistance group, says it has fielded over 3,200 calls statewide, with 125 requests for language interpretation at polling places. While roughly half of those were requests for Spanish language translation, the other half were for Korean, Amharic and Somali, among others.

A federal appeals court will hear arguments Dec. 10 over the future of a proposed pipeline supplying the planned Cumberland Gas Plant in Stewart County, the Tennessee Lookout reports. The 32-mile pipeline would cut through parts of Dickson, Houston and Stewart counties. Earlier this month in a 2-1 decision, a panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily froze two permits issued to Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company to begin construction of the pipeline. TVA’s plans to open more natural gas plants have brought opposition from advocates seeking a redirection from fossil fuels and into solar and other renewable energy.

The city of Memphis has launched a new initiative that will focus on investing in more environmental and sustainable urban development, according to ABC News 24. Green Bank aims to provide cleaner energy, lower costs and green infrastructure upgrades for small businesses. Memphis Mayor Paul Young told the paper that the initiative launched on Tuesday through a $150,000 investment from the Tennessee Valley Authority. "It's one of those things that has a triple bottom line. It benefits the families that are in the home, it benefits their pockets and it benefits the environment," Young said. The Green Bank plans to launch a capital campaign to establish a revolving loan fund and open the loan application process by early next year.

When it comes time to wind down a practice, legal and ethical obligations keep the client front-of-mind. Use this list as a guide to review your wind-down process and the many considerations involved. Learn more in the Winding Down a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has granted a German family in Morristown a reprieve from deportation for another year. The Romeike family moved to East Tennessee to homeschool their five children for religious reasons after being fined for doing so in Germany, reports the Tennessean. After pushback from the family's attorney Kevin Boden with the Home School Legal Defense Association and public outcry that included a bill being introduced in Congress, ICE in October 2023 delayed the family's deportation until October 2024. An ICE spokesperson said in a statement that the agency determined after a thorough review that the Romeike case "does not meet current enforcement priorities. Accordingly, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has approved a one-year order of supervision for the Romeike family."